The firecracker succulent (Crassula capitella 'Campfire') is a very beautiful succulent plant, especially its brilliant red color, which looks like a cluster of blazing flames and is extremely eye-catching. But some growers find their firecracker succulent is not red at all, but green, with only a tiny bit of pink along the leaf edges. Why is this
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<p>The firecracker succulent (Crassula capitella 'Campfire') is a very beautiful succulent plant, especially its brilliant red color, which looks like a cluster of blazing flames and is extremely eye-catching. But some growers find their firecracker succulent is not red at all, but green, with only a tiny bit of pink along the leaf edges. Why is this?</p><p></p><p><strong>How to grow the firecracker succulent in summer (can it take sun?)</strong></p><p>That's right, the firecracker succulent is a summer-growing type, so it does not go dormant in summer, which means giving it plenty of sun is a good thing. However, in high-rise apartments or enclosed balconies, or in environments with sustained high temperatures, you should pay attention to ventilation and provide appropriate shade at midday in summer to avoid excessive exposure.</p><p></p><p><strong>Why the leaves of the firecracker succulent stay green and how to fix it</strong></p><p>Cause:</p><p>The firecracker succulent is mostly red-green during its growing period; only when watering is stopped or during dormancy does its color turn red or pink. That is, only in late autumn to early spring, when the day-night temperature difference is large, the conditions are dry and cold, and it gets full sun, do the leaves easily turn red. So in autumn, when the day-night temperature difference is small, light is insufficient and watering is excessive, the firecracker succulent will not turn red.</p><p></p><p>Solutions:</p><p>First you need to understand that the firecracker succulent only turns very red under the combined effect of dryness + low temperature + strong sun, and young seedlings are very hard to turn red. During the growing season it turns green again and will grow rampantly; you can cut stems and keep taking cuttings, and within half a year you will have a big batch.</p><p>Grow a good root system: only with a good root system can the firecracker succulent grow vigorously. Once it has stored plenty of water inside, gradually reduce watering, giving a little less each time, until you finally stop watering altogether, then expose it to strong sun, and the firecracker succulent will turn red.</p><p>Fertilizing: the firecracker succulent is a horticultural variety that likes a warm, dry environment with plenty of sunlight. In partial shade or shaded spots the plant can still grow, but the leaf color will not turn red. Normally do not give too much water or fertilizer, and especially do not use too much nitrogen fertilizer, otherwise the plant will grow leggy and the leaf color will not turn red. Wait until the potting soil is completely dry before watering, and apply a dilute fertilizer mainly of phosphorus and potassium once a month.</p><p></p><p><strong>Propagation methods for the firecracker succulent</strong></p><p>Propagation of the firecracker succulent generally includes three methods: cuttings, division and sowing, with cuttings being the main one. Cuttings are further divided into stem cuttings and leaf cuttings. For stem cuttings, use a stem of the firecracker succulent and bury about 2 cm of the lower part in the soil, keeping the soil moderately moist; roots will form within a week. For leaf cuttings, remove a leaf with the petiole as intact as possible, lay it flat on the surface of loose potting soil, and keep the soil moderately moist; within one to two weeks roots will form from the petiole, then new buds will grow and gradually develop into a new plant. The advantage of stem cuttings is that they grow into new plants faster, while the advantage of leaf cuttings is a high propagation rate, since every single leaf can produce a new plant.</p><p></p><p><strong>How to water the firecracker succulent</strong></p><p>1. If you want to know how to water the firecracker succulent, you first need to understand its characteristics and whether it actually needs water. This plant cannot be given too much water, just like most succulents, so when growing it you need soil with good permeability and a very airy growing environment. As for water, do not water too much. The usual way to judge is to observe whether the soil is dry and whether the leaves are shrinking. As long as the leaves are firm and not soft and the soil still holds moisture, do not water it; wait until it is dry before watering.</p><p>2. Generally, the firecracker succulent does not need much water in any season. In summer, basically do not water it; simply spraying with a spray bottle is enough. In winter, give less water, so that its leaves will be as red and dazzling as fire.</p><p>3. This plant can be watered by the conventional method, which is to pour water directly into the pot or lightly sprinkle it with a watering can. Today I suggest a relatively safe and simple method: prepare a washbasin and fill it with water, not too deep, then place the firecracker succulent that needs water, pot and plant together, into the washbasin, and slowly wait for the water to seep upward. After about two quarter-hours, check whether the upper part of the soil is moist; once it is moist, take it out and put it back in its original growing spot to sit. This method can effectively prevent accidentally overwatering, and the slow water uptake will not suddenly soak the roots, making it very convenient to carry out.</p><p></p><p>In summary, the reason the firecracker succulent is not red is mainly related to temperature and humidity. Generally, only under strong sunlight does the firecracker succulent turn a brilliant red; at other times it will still be green. So this is a normal phenomenon, as the colors of many succulents change with different temperatures.</p>
Firecracker plant (Crassula capitella 'Campfire') is a very beautiful succulent, especially its brilliant red color, which looks like a cluster of burning flames and is extremely eye-catching. But some growers find their firecracker plant is not red at all, but green, with only a hint of pink along the leaf edges. Why is that?
How to care for firecracker plant succulents in summer (can it be sunned?)
That's right, the firecracker plant is a summer-growing type, so it does not go dormant in summer, and plenty of sun is very good for it. However, in high-rise apartments, enclosed balconies, or environments with sustained high temperatures, pay attention to ventilation and provide appropriate shade at midday in summer to avoid excessive sun exposure.
Why the leaves of firecracker plant succulents do not turn red and how to fix it
Cause:
During the growing season, the firecracker plant is mostly red-green; only when water is withheld or during dormancy does it turn red or pink. That is, only from late autumn to early spring, when the day-night temperature difference is large and conditions are dry and cold with full sun, do the leaves easily turn red. So in autumn, when the day-night temperature difference is small, light is insufficient, or watering is excessive, the firecracker plant will not turn red.
Solutions:
First you need to understand that the firecracker plant only turns very red under the combined effect of dryness + low temperature + strong sun, and young seedlings are very hard to turn red. During the growing season, the firecracker plant turns green again and grows rampantly; you can keep taking cuttings from the stems, and within half a year you will have a large batch.
Grow a good root system: only with a good root system can the firecracker plant grow vigorously. Once it has stored plenty of water inside, gradually reduce watering, giving a little less each time, until you finally stop watering altogether, then expose it to strong sun, and the firecracker plant will turn red.
Fertilizing: the firecracker plant is a horticultural cultivar that likes a warm, dry environment with plenty of sunlight. In semi-shade or shade it can still grow, but the leaf color will not be red. Normally do not give too much water or fertilizer, and especially do not use too much nitrogen fertilizer, otherwise the plant will become leggy and the leaves will not turn red. Wait until the potting soil is completely dry before watering, and apply a thin fertilizer mainly of phosphorus and potassium once a month.
Propagation methods for firecracker plant
Firecracker plant is generally propagated in three ways: cuttings, division, and sowing, with cuttings being the main method. Cuttings are further divided into stem cuttings and leaf cuttings. For stem cuttings, use a stem of the firecracker plant and bury about 2 cm of the lower part into the soil, keeping the soil moderately moist; roots will form within a week. For leaf cuttings, remove a leaf with the petiole as intact as possible, lay it flat on the surface of loose potting soil, and keep the soil moderately moist; within one to two weeks roots will form from the petiole, then new buds will grow and gradually develop into a new plant. The advantage of stem cuttings is that they grow into new plants quickly, while the advantage of leaf cuttings is a high propagation rate, since every single leaf can produce a new plant.
How to water firecracker plant
1. If you want to know how to water the firecracker plant, you first need to understand its characteristics and whether it actually needs watering. This plant should not be given too much water, just like most succulents, so when growing it you need soil with good permeability and a very airy growing environment. As for water, do not water too much. The usual way to judge is to observe whether the soil is dry and whether the leaves are shrinking. As long as the leaves are firm and not soft, and the soil still has some moisture, do not water it; wait until it is dry before watering.
2. Generally, the firecracker plant does not need much water in any season. In summer, basically do not water it; simply spraying with a spray bottle is enough. In winter, use less water, and only then will its leaves turn as red and dazzling as fire.
3. This plant can be watered by conventional methods, that is, pouring water directly into the pot or lightly sprinkling with a watering can. Today I suggest a relatively safe and simple method: prepare a washbasin and fill it with water, not too deep, then place the firecracker plant, pot and all, into the washbasin, and slowly wait for the water to seep upward. After about two quarter-hours, check whether the upper part of the soil is moist; once it is moist, take it out and put it back in its original growing spot to sit. This method can effectively prevent accidentally overwatering, and the slow water absorption will not suddenly soak the roots, making it very easy to manage.
In summary, the reason the firecracker plant is not red is mainly related to temperature and humidity. Generally, only under strong sunlight does the firecracker plant turn brilliant red; at other times it will still be green! So this is a normal phenomenon. The colors of many succulents change with different temperatures.